Lantana plant named ‘LAX 600’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lantana  plant named ‘LAX 600’, characterized by its compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; short internodes; relatively small leaves; early, freely and continuous flowering habit; inflorescences with initially golden yellow-colored flowers that become orange and eventually light red with development; and low seed set.

Botanical designation: Lantana camara.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LAX 600’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant, botanically known as Lantana camara, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name LAX 600.

The new Lantana is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hawthorne, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create compact Lantanas with little to no seed set.

The new Lantana originated from an open pollination in September, 1999 of the Lantana cultivar Tangerine, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with an unidentified Lantana selection as the male, or pollen parent. The new Lantana was selected as a single flowering plant from the resulting progeny of the open pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Hawthorne, Fla. in June, 2000, on the basis of its growth habit and attractive flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Hawthorne, Fla., since July, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Lantana are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar LAX 600 have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and culture such as temperature and light intensity, without however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘LAX 600’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘LAX 600’ as a new and distinct Lantana cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and somewhat outwardly spreading plant         habit.     -   2. Short internodes.     -   3. Relatively small leaves.     -   4. Early, freely and continuous flowering habit.     -   5. Inflorescences with initially golden yellow-colored flowers         that become orange and eventually light red with development.     -   6. Low seed set.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Tangerine. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hawthorne, Fla., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the cultivar Tangerine in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana were more compact than plants of         the cultivar Tangerine.     -   2. Plants of the new Lantana had shorter internodes than plants         of the cultivar Tangerine.     -   3. Plants of the new Lantana were more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar Tangerine.     -   4. Plants of the new Lantana had golden yellow, orange and light         red-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar Tangerine had         orange-colored flowers.     -   5. Plants of the new Lantana produced fewer seeds than plants of         the cultivar Tangerine.

Plants of the new Lantana can be compared to plants of the cultivar Robpatcow, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,450. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hawthorne, Fla., plants of the new Lantana differed from plants of the cultivar Robpatcow in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Lantana were taller than plants of the         cultivar Robpatcow.     -   2. Plants of the new Lantana flowered earlier than plants of the         cultivar Robpatcow.     -   3. Plants of the new Lantana were more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.     -   4. Plants of the new Lantana had golden yellow, orange and light         red-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar Robpatcow had         yellow orange and orange-colored flowers.     -   5. Plants of the new Lantana were more resistant to Botrytis         than plants of the cultivar Robpatcow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lantana. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘LAX 600’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the photographs and description were planted in 12.5-cm containers after rooting and grown for about six weeks during the spring in an outdoor nursery in Hawthorne, Fla. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 24° C. to 29° C. and night temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 21° C.

-   Botanical classification: Lantana camara cultivar LAX 600. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Lantana camara cultivar Tangerine, not             patented.         -   Male parent.—Unidentified Lantana camara selection, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About two weeks at 24° C.         -   Time to develop roots.—About four weeks at 24° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Flowering subshrub; compact, upright and somewhat             outwardly spreading; mounded. Freely branching; typically             about two lateral branches potentially forming at every             node; pinching enhances lateral branch development.             Moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 15 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 21 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 4.3 cm. Diameter: About             3 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm. Strength: Strong, but             flexible. Texture: Rough, coarse pubescence. Color, young:             Close to 144A. Color, mature: Close to 199A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite; simple. Length:             About 2.9 cm. Width: About 2.4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Serrate. Texture, both             surfaces: Leathery, rough, coarse; pubescent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing and fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: Darker green than 147A.             Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower surface: More             green than 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to 147A.             Venation, lower surface: Close to 147C. Petiole length:             About 6 mm. Petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Petiole texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Petiole color, upper             surface: Close to 144A. Petiole color, lower surface: Close             to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Small salverform flowers arranged in             axillary umbels; flowers face mostly upward or outwardly.             Flowers self-cleaning. Very freely flowering with one to two             inflorescences per node; typically about 22 to 24 flowers             per umbel.         -   Natural flowering season.—Spring until frost in the autumn;             flowering continuous during the flowering period.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About one week.         -   Fragrance.—Not detected.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 3.5 cm.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Flared trumpet, corolla fused; flowers             roughly rectangular in shape. Diameter: About 7 mm by 8 mm.             Height (depth): About 1.8 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Shape: Roughly ovoid. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of four             petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal lobe length: About             3.5 mm. Petal lobe width: About 4 mm to 5 mm. Petal shape:             Roughly spatulate to orbicular. Petal apex: Mostly rounded.             Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color: Petals, when             opening, upper surface: Close to 17A, then overlain with             close to 45A. Petals, when opening, lower surface: Close to             14A. Petals, fully opened, upper surface: Close to 45A; with             development, color becoming closer to 53A. Petals, fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 45B to 45C. Throat: Close to             15A to 17A. Tube: Close to 151A; towards the petal lobes,             overlain with close to 45A.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement/appearance: One single calyx tube per             flower. Sepal length: About 8 mm. Sepal width: About 2.5 mm.             Sepal shape: Lanceolate with acute to acuminate apex and             entire margin. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Sepal color, upper surface: 144A. Sepal color,             lower surface: 144A to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.75 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Angle: Mostly upright. Strength: Flexible, but strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: Less than 1 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm.             Angle: Upright. Strength: Flexible, but strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Four per             flower, adnate to floral tube. Filament color: White, close             to 155D. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 1.5 mm.             Anther color: Close to 187A. Pistils: Quantity: One per             flower. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Style length: About             2.5 mm. Style color: Close to 9A. Stigma shape: Rounded.             Stigma color: Close to 9A. Ovary color: Brownish green.             Fruit: Amount produced: Scarce. Diameter: About 5 mm. Shape:             Roughly spherical. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close to 103A.             Seed: Amount produced: Scarce. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Color: Close to 200D. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Lantana have been     observed to be relatively resistant to Botrytis. Plants of the new     Lantana have not been observed to be resistant to pests and other     pathogens common to Lantana. -   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed to     be very tolerant to rain and wind. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Lantana have been observed     to be tolerant to temperatures ranging from −6° C. to 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Lantana plant named ‘LAX 600’, as illustrated and described. 